Kelmscott Guide

St George’s Kelmscott. The Shill and Broadshires Guide Introduction Aerial photographs show that Romano-British settlements at Kelmscott were repeatedly extended and changed but never had any defences, life was peaceful under Roman rule but that changed dramatically when the Romans left in AD410. The Upper Thames basin between Burford and the Vale of the White Horse became disputed territory between the Saxons in Wessex to the south and the Angles in Mercia to the north, the Thames was nominally the boundary. These warring factions from Germany were pagan until about AD 600 to 700, excavated graves nearby prove this, and became converted to Christianity from then onwards by travelling monks and priests. The area also stabilised under Saxon rule after the battle of Beorhford in 752 when King Cuthred of Wessex defeated King Aethelbald of Mercia on the hill above present day Burford. At sometime during this Anglo- Saxon period a Saxon called Cenhelm built his “cott” or “cote” (a cottage or stockade) here and the name Kelmscott is attributed to him. When the shire of Oxford was formed in 1007 Kelmscott became its southwestern boundary. The “Conversion” from AD 600 onwards was achieved by a system of “minsters”, abbeys and larger churches where monks and priests lived, worshipped and chronicled events, and “chapels-of-ease” to which they travelled to preach and convert local landowners and farmers. Dorchester, Abingdon, Bampton, Broadwell and Langford became the minsters, Kelmscott was a chapel-of-ease. In the present building the inner porch doorway and nave are predominantly Norman, and the Sanctus bell cote, above the chancel arch (also on the cover), has, on the north side, one of the oldest bells in England, early 13th Century. The Sanctus bell was rung in medieval times when the sacrament was administered so that the peasants outside who were not allowed into the church building itself could feel involved. Kelmscott 2 The Shill and Broadshires Guide The inner porch doorway is late 12th century and dates the nave as of this same date although there are no other identifiable features of that period. The most striking and interesting nave feature is the arcade through to the north aisle. The north aisle was built by punching through the original nave wall and supporting the structure above on this high quality, four rounded arch arcade. The stout, round Norman pillars are dated at about 1210 and topped by foliated capitals, high quality and very finely carved . Possibly they were made in a workshop or, maybe, journeymen stone masons would have been employed on site for the work. Kelmscott was a chapel-of-ease in Broadwell parish which had both Knights Templar and courtier knight connections. In addition to the fine carving of the capitals, evidence of the original wall painting in the arches themselves can be seen. This would date from the period when the arches were built. A further “dating” feature is the face carved between arches, in the spandrel (right), also it shows a plastered wall around it; the entire nave is plastered - as in medieval times! Victorian restorers stripped plaster from church walls in the 1850s onwards during their “restorations”, the neo Gothic revival period. William Morris, a Kelmscott resident, objected strongly and formed S.P.A.B (the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Buildings) which is still active. This church owes him a debt for its preservation in unchanged form. Kelmscott 3 The Shill and Broadshires Guide The chancel was largely rebuilt in the mid 13th century but, in the south east corner, this late 12th century piscina, with a bowl carved with volutes, remains as a survivor from the original chancel. The corbels also survive from a 12th century roof of increased height and steeply pitched design compared with the present Victorian one. The east window contains a stained glass panel from about 1430 depicting St George slaying the dragon. Few fragments of medieval glass remain in English churches as they were destroyed during the Reformation which followed Henry VIII’s break with Rome and his death in 1547. Also in the chancel, in front of the altar, are the 17th century black marble floor monuments to the Turner family. Kelmscott Manor is usually associated with William Morris but it was built by the Turners who were squires of Kelmscott for over 200 years. One of the Thomas Turners probably built the Manor but there is no absolute proof as the original deeds have been lost. The Turners lived at Hall Place Filkins and Kelmscott 4 The Shill and Broadshires Guide Broughton Poggs before that. There were five families of Turners in Broughton Poggs between 1576 and 1596. Turners were also a stabilising influence in the Civil War and a Thomas Turner was churchwarden for Filkins between 1632 and 1660. A Richard Turner probably lived in two ancient houses in Kelmscott from about 1568 to the end of the century then a line of 5 father/son Thomas’s followed. The 3rd, 1620 - 1682, probably built the present manor, a grant of arms 1665 enabled his coat-of-arms to be displayed over the hearth in the manor. We also know that three Turners in Kelmscott paid “Hearth Tax” in 1665 in Charles II’s reign. Kelmscott Manor’s most famous resident was William Morris from 1871 until his death in 1896. He rented it and 68 acres from the executors of James Turner who died in 1870 and then the nephew, Charles Hobbs, who inherited it in 1873. A famous motif of Morris’ Arts & Crafts days hangs behind the altar (left), and a 17th century Turkish brocade given by his widow, Jane, is the present altar cloth (below). Two blocked half arches show that, at some time, a fully robed priest could have gone from the chancel to the north chapel without entering the nave. An external covered way has long since been demolished. The north chapel is an extension of the arcade in the north aisle but its main interest is the wall painting. All the church wall paintings are entirely in red ochre. The formal rolling scroll designs in the arcade of the nave ........ Kelmscott 5 The Shill and Broadshires Guide ............and the wall paintings in the north chapel are different in concept but contemporary with one another. Their style indicates a painting date of about 1280 at the latest. Although the paintings in the chapel are damaged, those on the west wall are Old Testament scenes, e.g. Cain and Abel, while those on the east wall are New Testament subjects including the Massacre of the Innocents and the Presentation at the Temple. Adam and Eve appear in the north window western reveal and remnants of the Last Judgement are over an arch. Some faces are similar to those in Black Bourton church so, maybe, the artists travelled from church to church. Wall paintings North A Victorian plan indicates that Chapel the “Victorian restorers” did some repair work on the church in the 1800s. Maybe The Arcade before William Morris arrived 13th C St George Window in Kelmscott. He would have tub font Nave Chancel Turner objected to further “restoration” Monuments work so, here, they are only to Piscina blame for the present, rather Delicate tracery in poor quality, chancel roof. SW window South Chapel Rear arched window The south chapel has a robust, cusped, rear arch to its south window which has been dated as 1320. This dates the building of the chapel although its height was increased in Tudor times and the Tudor corbels, the angel reading etc, still support the later roof now existing. The rear arch cusped design appears in other churches in the neighbourhood and was probably a local design by a stone mason’s lodge. Kelmscott 6 The Shill and Broadshires Guide The building of the South Chapel in about 1320 completed the church plan. The addition of clerestory windows (upper ones) in the nave in 1430 was the last medieval alteration and happened at about the time the churchyard was consecrated. Prior to 1430 the church was a chapel-at-ease of Broadwell parish and the deceased had to be carried to Broadwell for burial. From 1430 burial locally was sanctioned. The south porch was added in Tudor times, about 1550, and from then to today the church has remained unaltered. Outside, an earlier, higher pitch, porch roof line can be seen above the present one. The tracery and cusp work in this Early English window (1150 - 1250) in the south west wall of the nave, internally above and externally left, is worthy of note for the skill of the medieval stone mason. Note the door crosses on the east jamb; they may have been crusaders and pilgrims leaving an outward and return mark, or...? In the south-east corner of the churchyard is the simple coped gravestone designed by Philip Webb for his old friend William Morris who died in 1896. It also commemorates his wife, Jane, and his two daughters Jenny and May who lived on in Kelmscott Manor. In total the Morris family were residents from 1871 until 1938. The sources of information for this guide have been various but mainly include the local histories written by A.S.T.Fisher, John Blair's Anglo-Saxon Oxfordshire, information from the Victoria County History and the local guides which have been placed in the church. Photographed and produced by Derek Cotterill, 2008. Kelmscott 7.

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